Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said the club is willing to go to court if the AFL allows the Port Adelaide club to wear the famous prison bar jersey in the showdown against Adelaide next year.
The Port Adelaide’s playing strip has been a long-running saga with McGuire who has always maintained his desire to protect his club’s trademark including the magpie logo and prison bars which the Port Adelaide club used when it was in the SANFL before it joined the AFL.
“I think should allow us to wear it in Showdowns, because Showdowns have such significant heritage value for South Australian football, and that’s what I will be discussing with the AFL when we talk about wearing it in the Showdown next year,” Port Adelaide President David Koch told FIVEaa.
McGuire appeared to be more upset by the fact that Koch was willing to go directly to the AFL instead of asking Collingwood which McGuire said was always willing to make allowances for special occasions.
PORT ADELAIDE STATEMENT:
The Port Adelaide Football Club will be wearing its traditional Prison Bar guernsey in next week’s Showdown to re-launch its 150th anniversary. The Club will also seek approval to wear the iconic guernsey in all Showdowns moving forward.
Port Adelaide chairman David Koch believes its simply the right thing to do and will ask the AFL to make the decision.
“What we are asking for is not unreasonable and any fair-minded person would understand that.
“We are simply asking the AFL to approve Port Adelaide to wear our iconic guernsey in South Australia against our local rivals, the Adelaide Crows.
“We aren’t asking to wear it every week, or every home game, or against Collingwood. All we are asking is to wear it in Adelaide against our South Australian rivals.
“Let me be clear on this. We are not asking to be the Magpies in the AFL or to use that emblem or logo in any way. All we are asking is to wear a guernsey that has been adored by our people since 1902.
“This is a guernsey of great significance to Port Adelaide, South Australian football and ultimately Australian football.
HR
Roar Rookie
He's looking good for a supercentenarian. We can't all hope to achieve that ruddy glow.
Flagpies
Roar Rookie
I've gone over the comments and everyone seems to have missed it: 1/ Ed is not seething because Port want to wear the prison bars. 2/ Ed is not even seething, he's portraying himself as seething because he's a self centred attention seeking narcissist. 3/ If anyone bothered to watch and actually listen to the video or watched that FC episode they'd realize he's portraying himself as seething by gunning for Kochie for not being honest to the Port fan base that they won't be wearing the prison bars in the showdown (in it's original form) - with the magpie emblem. (Yes prison bars but no magpie emblem - this is Ed's oh so trivial ammunition, it's not the original because it doesn't have the magpie emblem. That's how Kochie has supposedly been dishonest) Insert eye roll here. 4/ The prison bar jumper was first used in 1902 after the Pies first used their b&w stripes in 1892. So it's not even the original Port jumper in the first place. 5/ So the f what Ed, it is none of your business if another president is supposedly lying to his fan base. (Which is drawing a long bow, Koch is not, you're just making it out that way) 6/ Is it any wonder us Pie members want him out the door, the ultimate pr disaster for our club.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't it be funny if Collingwood decided to adjust their black and white stripes such that it looked a bit like a prison bar guernsey! Now I'd like to see that. :laughing: :boxing:
Micko
Roar Rookie
How innovative! :laughing: Why did Collingwood change anyway?
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
I'm not calling my burger joint McDonalds, and the big yellow M is not shaped like the golden arches. Its all just kind of similar. Companies protect their trademark all the time. So its not a stupid example. Its apt.
ScottyJ
Roar Rookie
Interesting side point. If you didn't know it's an 18 team competition and you only watched Footy Classified you've think there's only 6 or so teams that play...
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Stupid example. Compare Apple's with apples mate, were not trying to read the team the collingwood Magpies.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
It's for one game, it looks bugger all like Collingwood jumper, at least less than Norths does and it's our history, at no stage do we need to ask permission from another club to wear our most famous strip.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Awesome Col and your point is well made.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I agree with that however they've been playing Prison Bars for around a hundred years. How l hate that strip.. ----- I did read McAlister's letter. If there's a clear encroachment yes. But this aint. ----- But l love reading your take on things because it's always thought provoking. I hate boring status quo.
Davico
Roar Pro
Just so we are clear, Collingwood DO NOT have a trademark on the prison bar jumper. They have a trademark on the Magpies name and logo when it comes to the AFL. I doubt it would even be possible to tradmark the jerseys considering there are subtle changes made by most clubs nearly every year so they can sell more merchandise.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
When there is a clash of history and tradition, the club with the longest history and tradition usually wins (and justifiably so). As far as the black and white stripes go that is Collingwood. From a traditional perspective, Port in the SANFL plays in black and white prison bars (nowadays anyway) and is 150 years old (sort of as they will not be playing in the SANFL to celebrate 150 years in that competition). Port in the AFL has a much shorter history (this will be their 24th season) and is black, white, teal and the forgotten silver (and not in a vertical stripes pattern). Collingwood has a much longer tradition of playing in the AFL in black and white stripes. They own it!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Come on Chris. Eddie kindly offered to wear the white with black stripes instead of black with white stripes as our clash jumper?
Johnno
Roar Rookie
The AFL agreed for Port to wear the prison bar jumpers for heritage games. They don’t have heritage games now. So Port have asked to wear the jumper in showdowns. Same approval, just different games. What’s the difference?
Chris_S
Roar Rookie
That’s my point. If two clubs with merchandising worth hundreds of millions of dollars don’t care if their jumpers are similar, then why are these to minnows carrying on. Both clubs have history to support their claim to the jumper. Unfortunately both presidents also have a history of chasing headlines
Maxy
Roar Rookie
you tell him kochy,,,,,,think everywhere eddie should stick with hosting his gameshows
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I love Eddie's skin regime.
HR
Roar Rookie
I think Eddie is still sore over losing the 1910 Championship of Australia to Port.
HR
Roar Rookie
Admittedly, Port would have worn the prison bars in '04 were they allowed to do so, and since then Collingwood have only won a single premiership in their stripes (and only won one before then, seven years before Port were even in the competition).
me too
Roar Rookie
so collingwood have no right to the magpie name then - they were originally the flatties. there was a south aussie colonial club called the magpies before collingwood adopted it.